Wednesday, January 8

Velveeta: A Cheesy Meltdown

Here's proof that you don't have to be a Super Bowl advertiser to get into the Super Bowl frenzy.

Yesterday, Velveeta "announced" that it's in short supply. So short there's a crisis in the making. In fact, it's been called a "cheesy melt down" because people are so upset about it. The story made the rounds of all the morning shows and certainly stirred up many a tweet.

What's to blame for this shortage? The string of football games and bad weather that have been causing people to stock up and make their favorite cheese dips weekend after weekend. It's selling out like mad.

But the problem is that we've got the biggest football game of the season coming soon, so what's a person to do who's planning all the snacks for the party?

Never fear, it'll be back in time for the big game. Phew.

Now the cynics out there say this was all a publicity stunt. We can't know for sure, but it sure is a clever coincidence of perfect timing. I always say there are no coincidences in marketing so I'm fascinated by the activity.

Even more interestingly, it may have taken a different turn and perhaps been "outed" by The Today Show. Click here to see Matt Lauer take a big chunk out of a bar of Velveeta, while surrounded by a Velveeta set. His reaction, and those of his co-hosts, are pretty revealing (and entertaining).

At the very least, a light-hearted news story at the appropriate time of the year. Sure beats talking about the cold weather!

No matter how you slice or melt it, it's good brand marketing right before all the Super Bowl action. We've been talking about it all day, which is exactly the point.

What's your experience? Jim.

Join us this Sunday 1/12/14 for #GGExp - live tweets during The Golden Globes, all about the marketing!